Mine-car spring-bumper, draw-bar, and automatic coupling.



PATENTED JULY 28, 1903.

. R.- s. WEITZEL'L. M-INE GAR SPRING BUMPER, DRAW BAR, AND AUTOMATIC COUPLING.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 8, 1903.

10 MODEL.

\ fim IS PEYERS c0. mom-urns, WASNINGYON. D n

UNITED" STATES iatented July 28, 1903.

PATENT Fries.

RICHARD s. .WEITZELL," or MARION, KENTUCKY.

MINE-CAR SPRING-BUMPER, DRAW-BAR, AND'AUTOMATIC COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters :Patent No. 734,640, dated July 28, 1903..

A lication filed Mays, 1903. Serial No. 156.248. (NomodeL) T 0 azz whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD S. WEITZELL, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Marion, in the county of Orittenden and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Mine-(Jar Spring-Bumper, Draw-Bar,1

and Automatic Coupler, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in draft mechanism for railway-cars and other rolling-stock.

The object of the invention is to provide a combined bumper, draw-bar,and automatic coupling particularly designed" for use -on mining-cars, which is simple in construction and effective in operation and which will materially reduce the strainsand sudden jar on the body of the car incidentto drawing or coupling the same.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the'claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in form, pro:

portion, and minor details of construction may be resorted, to without departing from V the spirit or sacrificing anyof the advantages of thisinvention. r

In the accompanying'drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan View of my improved combined bumper, draw-bar, and. coupler. Fig. 2 is a side view of thesame, Fig. 3 isa bottom a plan view. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional View of the draw-heads coupled.- Fig. 5 is' a transverse section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a transverse section on the line6 6 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 7 is a detail perspective View of the coupling-hook. Fig. 8 is a transverse section on the line 8 8 of Fig. 3.. Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional view showing a modified form of coupling.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figu res of the drawings. a

1 designatesa portion of a car a miningcar in the present instancet0 the front and rear axles of which is attached in any suitable manner the draft-timber on reach-bar 2.

5o Slidably mounted on the opposite ends of the reach-bar 2 are draw-heads 3 and 4, which cap rearwardly between the top and bottom:

plates to a point adjacent the reach-bar 2, defining a series of compartments in which are mounted buffer-springs 9, one end of'each of which rests against the inner front wall of the cap, the rear end thereof bearing against the end of the reach-bar. The inner partition-plates 7 of the draw-head 4 are formed somewhat thicker and stronger than the rest and are provided with bayonet-slots 10',adapted to receive the outwardly-extending lugs or pins 11 of a coupling-hook12, which passes through longitudinally-disposed slots or openings 13, formed in the top and bottomplates of said draw head. The top plate of the draw-headgl is provided with oppositely-disposed laterally-extending openings 14, which communicate with the slot 13 and permit the introduction of the hook 12, the pins or lugs 11 passing therethrough' and engaging the bayonet-slots in the partitions 7, which per: mits the hook to swing freely therein and also prevents accidental displacement of the same.

The upper. front end portion of the draw-j head 3 is provided with an upwardly andfin-v wardly extending curved hook 15, preferably formed integral with said head and adapted to engage the hooked end of the coupling member 12 when the cars are coupled, as will '9 p The upper end of the hook-12 projects some distance beyond the front end of thedrawhead 4, the lower end thereof extending rear-' be more fully explained hereinafter.

w'ardly beneath the head, as clearly shown in Fig. '4 of the drawings, so that whenthe cars are coupled the hook will be lifted-and auto matically engage the corresponding coupling member 15, a recess 16 being formed in the reach-bar 2, permitting the coupling-hook to swing freely during the operation.

In order to couple with cars provided with the ordinary link-and-pin coupling, I form ICO the draw-head 3 with a vertically-disposed slot 17, adapted to receive the coupling-pin, and form a slot 18 in the end of the reach-bar 2 to receive said pin when the head is forced backward by the impact of the cars.

The construction of mydevice will be readily understood, and the operation thereof is as follows: In order to couple two cars, the draw-head 4 on one car is brought in contact with the corresponding draw-head 3 on the other in the ordinary manner, the draw-heads on each car being forced backward on the reach-bar and the force of the impact being taken up by the springs 9, interposed between the heads and reach-bars. As the cars come together the bill of the coupling-hook 12 will ride upwardly on the inclined face of the hook 15 and drop by gravity behind said h0ok,.

when a slight forward movement of either car will cause the coupling members to engage each other and securely couple the cars together. In uncoupling the cars are brought together suificiently close to release the coupling-bar from engagement with the hook 15, when said bar may be easily lifted and the cars detached.

When coupling with cars provided with the ordinary link-and-pin connection, the pin is inserted in the opening 17 in the draw-head 3 and the link on the adjoining car passed thereover, as clearly shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings.

Theupwardlyandinwardlyprojectinghook 15 extends nearly the entire width of the draw-head 3, so that when the cars are being run around a curve the coupling-hook will accommodate itself to the changed position. without the liability of becoming uncoupled.

As the draft-rods extend the entire length of the car, being connected with both drawheads, the strain incident to coupling or drawing a train of cars will not be exerted on the car-bodies, while the peculiar construction of the draw-heads renders it easy of manufacture and not liable to get out of order.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have provided a draft mechanism that is simple and durable in construction means for connecting the draw-heads, and

springs interposed between the ends of the reach-bar and the draw-heads.

3. In a draft mechanism, a reach-bar, drawheads provided with corresponding coupling members slidably mounted on the reach-bar, means for connecting the draw-heads, and

springs interposed between the ends of the.

reach-bar and the draw-heads.

4:. In adraft mechanism, areach-bar, drawheads provided with corresponding coupling members slidably mounted on the reach-bar, laterally-extending perforated lugs formed on the draw-heads, and draftrods passing through said perforated lugs and adapted to connect the draw-heads.

5. In a draft mechanism, a reach-bar, apair of draw-heads slidably mounted on the'opposite ends of the reach-bar, a pivoted couplingbar carried by one of said draw-heads, a hook adapted to be engaged by the coupling-bar, springs interposed between the end of the reach-bar and the draw-heads, and draft-rods connecting the draw-heads. v

6. In adraft mechanism, a reach-bar, apair of draw-heads provided with inwardly-extending ribs orpartitious and slidably mounted on the opposite ends of the reach-bar, one of said heads being provided with an upwardly-extending hook, a coupling-bar carried by the opposing draw-head and adapted to engage said hook, springs seated between the ribs or partitions and bearing against the end of the reach-bar, and draft-rods connecting the draw-heads.

7. In a draft mechanism, a reach-bar, a pair of draw-heads slidably mounted on the opposite ends of the reach-bar, one of said drawheads being provided with a coupling-bar pivotally mounted in a bayonet-slot formed in said head, the opposite draw-head being provided with an integral upwardly-extending hook adapted to engage the cou pling-bar, springs interposed between the ends of the reach-bar and the draw-heads, and draft-rods connecting the draw-heads. V

8. In a draft mechanism, a reach-bar, a pair of draw-heads provided with corresponding coupling members slidably mounted on the opposite ends of the reach-bar, one of said draw-heads having a pin-receiving opening formed therein, springs interposed between the ends of the reach-bar and the draw-heads, and draft-rods connecting the draw-heads.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature inthe presence of two witnesses.

RICHARD S. WEITZELL.

Witnesses:

GEO. M. CRIDER, WILL T. CRAWFORD. 

